# Wine Review: Banfi 2009 Chianti Classico



## Desertlifter (Feb 22, 2011)

Castello Banfi (Castello Banfi Home) is located southwest of Montepulciano, Italy which for those of you who have not been blessed with time in Italy might better recognize as being basically due south of Florence in northern Italy. I always have enjoyed collecting and cellaring Italian wines, particularly Sangiovese and Nebbiolo (naturally) offerings.

This young chianti showed itself at Costco (cheaply, I might add) and begged to be thrown in with the other comestibles that occupied my cart that day, so who was I to argue? Off it went. Once home it was doomed. My other wines are mostly at the "do not open till ____" stage. I uncorked the wine and ran it through the ringer. Namely, me.

Nose: Fruity and light as a chianti should be, this wine is nevertheless rooted in sangiovese. Its nose is not overly complex (also in keeping with the varietal) and carries a slight pepper with its typical cherry and plum notes. This is likely due to the light nose and abundance of tannins.

Legs: None. Dr. Pepper has more legs than this wine. There is only the faintest evidence of legs on swishing the wine in the glass and little or no border where leg meets glass.

Color: A lighter ruby-red that I expect with a young Chianti.

Palate: Cherry and plum are all there, as are the aforementioned tannins. This wine could use a few years to leech out some of the tannins and settle the wine down, but the varietal normally does not lend itself to such. In this case - with the heavy blending of sangiovese grapes - one might get away with it. Considering that this is a fairly un-complex wine it might not be worth the trouble. It would pair well with heavier fare like lamb and salmon, but would likely blow away soft cheeses or bread courses.

None of the above should be considered as detracting from this peppery little chianti. Chianti SHOULD be fairly open and simple as a wine, much like a pinot noir. Vintners that take these more delicate reds and try to blow them out to heady cabernet-like complexity and weight are not doing the varietal any favors. This is a chianti high in my favorite Italian varietal, which is a plus in my book. While it lacks residual sugars it would still serve as a foundation for sangria. Considering that I paid something like $7 for the bottle in the middle of the second largest wine growing region in the country, it is a good deal.


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

I may have to join you in a wine review one day Brian - got a 107 bottle wine cellar/cooler arriving Tuesday... and then the stocking begins!

Very honest review and nicely done!


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## joshbhs04 (May 30, 2011)

The wife and I fell in love with the chianti region last year on a trip to Florence and Greve in Chianti. A good DOCG Chianti is my fav red after the Brunnello D' Multalcino. Ill have to find this bottle and give it a try. Thanks for the review.


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## Desertlifter (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks both of you!

I spent a lot of time north of there Josh - particularly in Austria - when I lived in Schwabenland.

Shawn - would love to do a side-by-side review of a wine with you. Would be entertaining. I had a pretty extensive collection a few years ago but ended out drinking most of it (heh) when I was in a consumption phase rather than collecting. Four teenagers to support and new career. I'm working on replenishing now. I have relatives who work at wineries in the area and am doing my graduate research in the microbiology of wine. These reviews are my warm-up for summer term.


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

joshbhs04 said:


> The wife and I fell in love with the chianti region last year on a trip to Florence and Greve in Chianti. A good DOCG Chianti is my fav red after the Brunnello D' Multalcino. Ill have to find this bottle and give it a try. Thanks for the review.


Dang Josh! We like cigars, we like beer, we like wine, we like good food, we like Vegas, we like meeting cigar legends .... LOL



Desertlifter said:


> Thanks both of you!
> 
> I spent a lot of time north of there Josh - particularly in Austria - when I lived in Schwabenland.
> 
> Shawn - would love to do a side-by-side review of a wine with you. Would be entertaining. I had a pretty extensive collection a few years ago but ended out drinking most of it (heh) when I was in a consumption phase rather than collecting. Four teenagers to support and new career. I'm working on replenishing now. I have relatives who work at wineries in the area and am doing my graduate research in the microbiology of wine. These reviews are my warm-up for summer term.


Believe me I'm no expert. I have lots of experience drinking LOL but wouldn't call myself anything more than an average wine drinker. Now that we are getting the wine cellar/cooler my wife and I are starting to look at wines for aging, so we are in an experimental mode right now. But YEAH - a dual wine review would be fun!!


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## joshbhs04 (May 30, 2011)

Oldmso54 said:


> Dang Josh! We like cigars, we like beer, we like wine, we like good food, we like Vegas, we like meeting cigar legends .... LOL
> 
> Hahaha you meed to come to vegas so we can enjoy those things haha.
> 
> Would love to see a side by side review from you guys!


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## joshbhs04 (May 30, 2011)

Oldmso54 said:


> Dang Josh! We like cigars, we like beer, we like wine, we like good food, we like Vegas, we like meeting cigar legends .... LOL
> 
> Hahaha you meed to come to vegas so we can enjoy those things haha.
> 
> Would love to see a side by side review from you guys!


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

joshbhs04 said:


> Oldmso54 said:
> 
> 
> > Dang Josh! We like cigars, we like beer, we like wine, we like good food, we like Vegas, we like meeting cigar legends .... LOL
> ...


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